Zagreb Mayor, Tomislav Tomasevic, informed the public on Wednesday that "a preliminary investigation" by Uskok anti-corruption investigators started at the city administration offices at 6 am on Wednesday. Tomasevic was reacting to several arrests and searches conducted on Wednesday morning, involving associates of late mayor Milan Bandic.

Tomasevic said in a brief press release that the new city administration “fully supports the independence of state institutions and will continue advocating the transparency of city administration, all city departments, companies, institutions and related businesses.”

Media report director of HRT also arrested

Several people were arrested on Wednesday morning on the suspicion of corruption, including, according to media reports, the director-general of state broadcasting behemoth HRT, Kazimir Bacic.

Uskok and police have not yet confirmed these reports, although local media said that the arrests are related to business dealings of Zagreb’s previous administration, in the period between late 2020 and early 2021.

Bacic was allegedly arrested over a suspicious contract he had signed on behalf of HRT with the Tvornica Zarulja light bulb factory, state agency Hina said, without explaining further.